Fated to the Werewolf King novel Chapter 46

Jayce advised the Lunas and Alphas to leave them be for the rest of the evening and they would gather in the morning to get the last minute details wrapped up for the wedding. At first the Lunas were hesitant to leave her alone, especially Selene. Maybe the Luna, soon to be Alpha, felt responsible for what her deceased husband did, but Lily could never blame her. There may have been a point in time where Lukas was a decent man, and he truly cared about Selene, but that man surrendered himself to a being unheard of. Karmina. Was she that enticing of a character? Should she be worried about the other Alphas succumbing to her? What about Jayce?

Lily peered over to her Mate who sat back on the couch with her. His crimson eyes were darker than usual, nearly black as his button up. His shoulders were tense, his muscles bulged against his shirt. No, he wouldn't be swayed so easily. He may have nearly failed in Hawaii, but since then he's proven himself to gain her trust back. Her eyes drifted down to his neck where her Mark glistened in the light of the fireplace. It was since then that she felt their connection get stronger, tightening until it couldn't be breakable again. Karmina won't take him away from her, not while she was alive.

Lily looked across from her to Derek who had his moon silver eyes glued to the carpet. When they managed to get alone, he hadn't said a word. He looked to be struggling internally about what we're about to discuss, and she couldn't argue. Aside from being pregnant, she felt her stomach become a huge knot and it only just tightened the longer the silence went on. Penelope retired to Lily's old room where Elias was snoozing peacefully. After whatever happened between Derek and her father, Nathan also went to bed for the night. She rarely saw her father get so angry, and it had terrified her at some point, but she couldn't disagree with how he felt. It was truly insane of her to forgive Derek for nearly killing her not so long ago, but she felt deep down that she had to forgive him. Lately her mind had been developing and adjusting to her new role. She rested her hand over her chest, feeling her heart beat steadily for the first time in awhile. Somewhere within the deepest part of her heart, she belonged here. Along side Jayce, the Werewolf King, pregnant with his child who had a strong, yet undetermined future. She can sense it. The shift in the air, but she couldn't quite tell what it was, but somehow it felt nostalgic.

"Lily?" Jayce's deep, husky voice spoke to her, bringing her attention to the matter at hand. His hand reached over and rested on her knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. Through her leggings she felt the heat of his touch. That same heat settled in her cheeks.

"Sorry, I guess I'm a little scatter brained." She smiled weakly at him. His brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed on her belly. She placed her hand over the small bump that had started to form.

"I'll try to make this quick then." Derek finally spoke up from across the way. Lily looked back to him, finally meeting his gaze. She nodded, sitting back a bit.

"Okay, I'm ready." She said. Derek flickered his gaze away for a moment as he collected his thoughts once more. He let out a breath.

"A few months ago, Lukas came to me. When word reached the other packs that my son had a human for a Mate, I was outraged." Derek began, keeping his eyes on the dancing flames.

"Of course, that's just how things work out with us. Unless the Mate bond were to be rejected, it's official otherwise." He clasped his hands in front of him as he leaned forward slightly.

"I reached out to Penelope since I knew she had been visiting quite frequently in that time frame. She told me that it just happened to be a coincidence that the woman she picked up in New York to live here turned out to be his Mate." Derek's eyes softened, a look she would have never expected from him due to his usual demeanor.

"I flew out the day of the fall solstice in order to meet you, yet I found out from your guards that Jayce had been wounded and was being treated at the hospital. Of course those with the proper titles knew that the Werewolf King can't be brought down so easily, I was still a bit shocked." Derek finally looked up at Lily, maintaining the softness in his gaze.

"When I opened that hospital room, what I wasn't expecting to see was someone that I mistook right away as my Mate." He reached into his jacket and pulled what looked like a photo. He reached across, passing it over to her. She gasped softly at the woman in the picture. Her hair like the sun and her eyes like beautiful emeralds. She felt the familiar sting of tears grace her eyes.

"My mom was your Mate. She looks so young." She ran her fingers over her face, wishing to feel her motherly warmth again.

"We met when I had recently become the Alpha of the East Coast pack. She was engaged to your father at the time as well, but they had a disagreement. So, we spent time together for a couple months, until..." his words faded away and she looked over to him again. His moon silver eyes lost their glitter and shine and darkened to almost grey.

"My parents worked things out." She finished for him. He nodded slowly "They were engaged for years, even after I was born. Now I know why." She reached over and placed the photo on his lap, "My father thought she didn't want to get married because it would take away her freedom, but somehow I knew that wasn't the case." Lily inclined her head as she thought back to when her mother packed up her suitcase after another fight with her father. The fighting seemed endless. Her mother was a bird, and her father caged her by moving them all to the city. She couldn't breathe. She couldn't fly. Lily recalled her sad eyes as she put the suitcase in her car. Back then she didn't know it, and she wished she did.

"I think... no, I know my mother regretted the decision she made back then. She told me before she left that no matter what Fate gave me, to always follow my heart. Don't make the same mistake she did." Lily focused on Derek. His eyes lit up slightly at her words.

"Is that why you attacked me?" She asked him. He stiffened when she mentioned that, his eyes darting to Jayce as he shifted beside her. She felt Nox stir, growling protectively.

"No, that wasn't the objective. Though in my mind I recognized you as Autumn at first, my Wolf took the recognition another way." He said.

"Another way?" She asked him.

"Queen." He told her. He rubbed his right forearm before rolling up his sleeve. Unlike Jayce who had his tribal tattoos covering his arms, Derek's arms were bare. "Lukas made a deal with someone many years ago. If not for this being, he wouldn't even be an Alpha. He introduced her to me, sort of. I've never really met her in person, just through him."

"Karmina." Lily spoke the name out loud and felt a chill run down her spine. She shuddered, her arms wrapped around herself. Jayce settled his arm around her shoulders, pressing her against him.

"From my understanding, she is someone that practices the "sacred" Dark Arts." Derek grimaced. Jayce growled distastefully.

"Dark Arts? As in she is a Witch?" Lily asked him. Derek nodded, fixing his sleeve, "But I thought witchcraft was outlawed because of the Dark Arts?"

"Originally that was the case based around the Salem Witch trials. About a hundred or so years after that, the Witches came forward and placed themselves into two factions. Light Witches and Dark Witches." Derek filled her in. Lily cocked her head, vaguely remembering at some point in one of her history classes about that change.

"It was a fine idea," Jayce interjected, "up until a Dark Witch began practicing necromancy again after they passed a law making it illegal. She vouched it would have been for the greater good of the world, but..." Jayce looked off, appearing uncomfortable.

"She wasn't a powerful Witch. She couldn't control the undead she brought back, so they managed to slaughter several villages in Africa before she was killed." Derek finished for him.

"Was it Karmina?" She asked aloud, but Derek couldn't answer right away. His silence was a good enough answer though, "She's dead though, how can she be influencing anyone from beyond the grave?" She asked him. He only shook his head though.

"I don't have that answer. It could be possible that she made a deal with a Demon." Derek stroked his chin. Lily stared wide eyed.

Great, there are Demons now?

"How much is there to the Supernatural world that we don't know about?" She asked the both of them. Jayce looked down at her, his eyes dark still.

"Werewolves, Vampires and Witches are the known species all around the world." Jayce said, "However, there have been records of other creatures appearing throughout the years, but still remaining as secretive as possible."

"We're not too sure on what these creatures are aside from myths and legends created by humans, but that's all they could truly be. Just myths and legends." Derek said. Lily rubbed her temples, trying to process everything they both just told her. There are more Supernatural beings out there that no one knows about? Demons actually exist?

"Lily, listen to me." Jayce grabbed her hand, "You are safe with me. A treaty was created many years ago between Werewolves, Vampires and Witches. If one were to go against that treaty and attempt to kill the other species, a full on war would break out. No one wants that." He said as he squeezed her hand.

"But Jasper was a Vampire who abused me and you killed him." She pointed out and Jayce's jaw set.

"And I'd do it again." He growled deeply, "It's been four months. Either they are still investigating, or he had gone Rogue and they don't care for him." Lily frowned still, but nodded. There was so much now that she didn't understand, but it would all have to wait.

"Okay, so to the real question then. Why does Karmina want me dead?" She asked him, leaning forward slightly. Derek opened his mouth to answer, then shut it. His forehead crinkled slightly.

"That's the problem, I'm not sure. Lukas was the messenger who delivered her orders to whoever followed. All I was told was to get rid of you, permanently." Derek looked away with a pained expression on his face. "Lily, I am truly sorry for what I did. Aside from her orders, I was blinded by rage, believing it to be unfair that my Mate's daughter Mated my son."

"If you are truly sorry, you'll need to make it up to me." She crossed her arms over her chest. Derek shifted his gaze to Jayce before looking back to her. He straightened up.

"What is it?" He asked her, confusion and slight concern in his eyes.

"You'll be partaking in the wedding that's in two days. You'll be at my side all day tomorrow, and you will have at least one dance with me at the reception." She said sternly. Silence fell between them before Jayce let out a chuckle. Derek soon followed.

"Here I was thinking she was going to have me hanged." Derek relaxed against the couch.

"Why are you laughing? You're stuck with me all day tomorrow to help finalize everything." She turned her attention on Jayce. He cocked a brow down at her.

"That's supposed to be a punishment?" He asked her. She huffed, puffing her cheeks and jumps to her feet. "Where are you going?" He asked her.

"Bed. You both should be to." She shouted from the foyer before making her way up the stairs. There was a bounce in her step as she came to realize that some weight was lifted off of her shoulders.

Just a couple more days to go.

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Lily awoke with a start. The bedroom was still dark with the moon shining through the curtains. She heard deep breathing beside her, glancing over to see Jayce's naked torso rising and falling. She carefully brushed his hair from his face, studying his carefree facial expression. This was the side of him only meant for her.

She snuck out of bed and quietly got dressed into a red tank top and leggings. She grabbed her phone as she dipped into the bathroom to wash her face. She knew it was still very early, but she shot a text to each of the Alphas with the invite to breakfast. She glanced down at her belly, running her hand over it slowly. A soft growl rumbled in her mind as she left the bedroom behind.